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I shall make him love thee. He himself will tell thee his story; thou shalt make thy beloved to rejoice."
257. The knight listened to the maid, he was obedient, he submitted. Thereupon they looked round, they heard a splash from the glen, they saw the moon (i.e., Tariel) come forth from the water, its rays beaming. They hastened back; they made no long tarrying there.
258. The maid said: "O knight, God give thee soon what thou desirest; but make thyself unseen, hide thyself inside. No human being is disobedient to that knight; perchance I may so contrive that the sight of thee anger him not."
259. The maiden hastily hid Avt'handil secretly in the cave. That knight alighted from his horse; his quiver[1] and sword adorn him. They wept aloud, their tears flowing even to the sea.[2] Avt'handil gazed from the window,[3] himself hidden from view.
260. The bath of tears turned the crystal to the colour of jasper.[4] A long time the knight and that black-robed maiden wept. She unbuckled his armour and took it in; she also led in the horse. They were silent; the black knife of jet (of their eyelashes) cut off the (flow of) tears.
261. Avt'handil watched from the window, a prisoner but now freed from his dungeon.[5] The maid laid down the panther's skin,[6] the knight sat upon it, he sighs with added grief; the jetty eyelashes[7] are plaited by tears of blood.
262. That maiden betook herself to the lighting of a gentle fire with a steel; she thought he would eat meat roasted, (a bird cooked) whole; she gave it to him, he bit off a piece, it was difficult for him to eat, he had no appetite; he began to spit it out unchewed.[8]
263. He lay down a little, he fell asleep, but only for a short time; he was afraid, he screamed aloud, he leaped up as if dazed, he cried and incessantly beat his breast
